Note: This procedure involves editing a game file; create a backup copy of the file before proceeding. Use a text editor to edit the "proto.xml" file in the "data" directory in the game folder.

Note: You may first need to uncheck the "Read Only" attribute of that file's properties in Windows Explorer. Search for the text "CrateOf". You will find CrateofFood, CrateofCoin, CrateofWood, CrateofFoodLarge, CrafteofCoinLarge, and CrateofWoodLarge. For all these entries, find the tag "InitialResourceCount" and change the count to whatever desired. For example, the normal crates each have "100.000" of the resources. You can change the "100" to "99999.000", etc. Make sure you do this for all the crates; sometimes a map will give you a large crate of something, and smaller ones of something else, etc. This works best because every map you play in campaign or skirmish starts you with some "crates" of resources, which your settlers will gather out. This will edit the crates to have huge amounts of resources in them. However, it still takes a long time to get the resources out of the crate for the settlers, because there are so many. If you are impatient, search for "Settler" in the "proto.xml" file and find the tag for GatherCrate. Change the value to whatever desired, preferably something very high (for example, "99999"). They will pull the resources out of the crate instantly